Sector67 was proud to host the 6th Annual Build Madison event the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. This event offers community members the opportunity to take action on a project they’ve been thinking about, working on (or procrastinating) and allows participants access to all of the equipment and collaborative expertise Sector67 has to offer.
The Teams and their Projects
There were twelve teams and over 50 individuals participating in this year’s event. Participants, young and old, started Day 1 with a short presentation on their project idea and what they hoped to accomplish in the 24-hour timeframe. Others, without a team or project, attend the event to support these teams. These individuals share their knowledge, skills, and expertise in programming, voice recognition, welding, electrical engineering, or tinkering in general.
Introducing the Projects and their Teams:
| Project/Concept | Team Members |
| Repair an RC car
|
RJ, Scott |
| Build a Christmas Tree with voice-command LED lighting | Erica, Di
La’Shawna Jack, Davi |
| Replace existing delorean taillights with LED ones
|
Dennis |
| Build a table base from copper pipe | Kate |
| Make updates to the Sector67 website | Bob |
| Build a self-homing telescope stand/gantry system | Brian |
| Stained-glass project | Laima |
| Create a campaign to convince their friends that Jamie and Rob should be ushers in their friend’s wedding | Jamie, Rob |
| Create a DIY game controller
|
Xavier, Thiru, Robert, Tyler |
| Build a motorized skateboard
|
Jesse |
| Assemble a high-altitude balloon tracking device | Chris |
| Build an electric car
|
Mike, Danny, Nate, Alex |
| Modifying a cat exercise wheel to make it more FUN-ctional
|
Brad, Andrew |
The Results
| Project/Concept | Results |
| RC car repair
complete in 3 hrs
|
Using a part from the car as a pattern, Scott and RJ fabricated a replacement part from a small aluminum rod and a paperclip. They used the lathe to create the replacement “dog bone” component.
Here’s a video of RJ test-driving the repaired RC car on the newly modified cat exerciser |
| Christmas Tree with Voice-command LED lighting
complete in 16 hours
|
The “Dancing Lights Team” (Erica, Di, La’Shawna) laser cut 2 pieces of plywood which were then put together, painted, decorated, then laced with LED tape lights.
The Tree tech-team, Jack and Davi, programmed, tested, programmed and tested voice recognition and control. Here’s a video of the final creation! |
| Delorean LED taillights
in progress |
Dennis wanted to replace the existing taillights in his Delorean with LED lights. A follow-up presentation was given at Sector67 December meeting.
|
| Build a table base from copper pipe.
complete in 10 hours |
Kate designed, cut, soldered and polished the copper table base
|
| Make updates to the Sector67 website.
complete! |
Bob successfully completed his mission to clean up behind-the-scenes functionality of the website.
|
| Build a telescope stand/gantry system.
in progress |
Brian gave a follow-up presentation of his project at the December meeting
|
| Stained-glass project.
complete! |
Laima completed one of the three panels and the results were stunning!
|
| Save the Ushers campaign
complete/in-progress |
We checked in on Rob and Jamie’s quest in mid-January. Here’s what we found: |
| DIY game controller
complete
|
The team completed their mission and showed off their final product. Only they know which button does what…Or do they?
|
| Build a motorized skateboard
in progress |
Jessie had a nice protoype at his presentation and continues to work on the skate board. So far, so good!
|
| Build a tracking device for use when locating high-altitude balloons after they’ve landed
complete |
Here’s a cool video of a balloon launch, imagine how helpful the tracking device is in finding the balloon when it travels up to 90,000ft high and lands where it wants to!
|
| Build an electric car.
complete
|
Watch a couple of test-drive videos here:
At the event VIDEO Two Weeks after the event in Madison’s Central Park Thanks to Jim for Tab-synthing the battery box |
| Cat exercise wheel
complete
|
Brad and Andrew made the following modifications to the wheel:
|
Please come join this fun, community event in 2016! Bring your ideas and let’s build, Madison! And if you’ve made it to the end of this post, here’s a little reward for you!
